


Eleven

by Current521



Category: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, F/M, but it's not necessary to read first goodbye for this, canon never happens, follow-up to first goodbye, set much much later than canon, they're older and stuff has happened
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:29:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21705253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Current521/pseuds/Current521
Summary: Charlotte returns to Hatchetfield after eleven years. It's exactly like she remembered, and it's nothing like she remembered.
Relationships: Charlotte/Sam (The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals), Charlotte/Ted (The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Paul Matthews/Emma Perkins
Comments: 27
Kudos: 26





	1. Return

**Author's Note:**

> Basically, in this version, Sam and Charlotte got a divorce and Charlotte left town, and this happens when she comes back. First Goodbye ( https://archiveofourown.org/works/21072293 ) was initially written as backstory for this, but they're set 11 years apart, so it's not super relevant.

Save for her father’s funeral the month before, Charlotte hadn’t been to Hatchetfield in three years. It looked much the same, though, and much the same as it had when she had left it at 36.

She'd sworn, then, that she'd never be back. Now, she and her mother were helping each other carrying her possessions from the U-Haul truck and into the small studio apartment she was renting.

Once everything was inside, Charlotte tipped the driver, made sure everything was in order, and turned to unpacking. She told her mother to leave her to it, she'd be by for dinner, so she could get some peace and quiet. It would take her days to settle in, get everything right; the studio was much smaller than her apartment in Salt Lake City, but between losing her job and moving across the country, she didn't have much money, and she didn't really need the space.

Once she was unpacked enough to feel comfortable, she walked to her mother's house to eat dinner. It was more cluttered, she noted, than when her father was alive, but she didn't worry about it much; it was what it was. Her mother wasn't getting any younger, though Charlotte suspected she'd hang on for a fair few years.

Charlotte had been in Hatchetfield for three weeks before she ran into someone she knew. In the cereal aisle of the grocery store, of all places. "Charlotte?" came a voice behind her as she reached for cornflakes. "Charlotte Harrison?"

She turned around. "Charlotte Waters," she corrected automatically. She immediately recognised the man who'd spoken. "Ted Richards, right?" She didn't have to ask; she knew Ted perfectly well.

He smiled. "Yeah, hi. I thought it was you, it's been a while."

"Eleven years." She turned around again and reached for the cornflakes. "How are you doing?" They hadn't parted on bad terms, she figured, but they also hadn't talked since she left.

He shrugged. "Still in Hatchetfield. Still working at CCRP. Still the same, I suppose." He started walking with her as she went to get the rest of her groceries. "How about you? Where have you been? What are you doing back?"

"I moved to Utah, after I left here. Just lost my job, and then my father passed away, so I decided it was a good time to come back." Ted had always been the one who supported her when things had been tough with Sam; they may not have talked for years, but she decided then and there that he deserved a little more. "Plus, I heard from an old college classmate that Sam had left town, so I felt like it was time to come back."

Ted nodded. "Thought it had been a few months since I'd seen the bastard." He laughed. "It's a small town, I've seen him around. Unsurprisingly, he's not a fan of me."

That did make her chuckle. "I suppose he wouldn't be."

"A little hypocritical, I'm pretty sure he cheated on you first." Ted reached around her to grab a jar of jam from the shelf, and Charlotte became aware of how close they were walking. "Unless there's something you never told me."

She elbowed him lightly in the side. "Oh Ted." But she smiled; he was charming, even after all these years. "Aren't we too old for this?"

"You might be," he said, raising an eyebrow. Then he dropped it. "Yeah. Tell you what, I don't imagine you have many friends around here, so let me give you my number, and I'll make dinner one of these days, how does that sound?"

"Sure." She smiled and dug her phone out of her purse. "Hand me yours, I'm bound to forget."

He handed over his phone, and she coded in her number, then handed it back. When she got her own phone back, she noticed that he'd coded in himself as  _ Ted (you know the hot one) _ . She shook her head at him, but left it be.

He changed what she was coded in as. "What did you write?" she asked. She was curious more than judgmental, she told herself.

He shrugged. "Just Charlotte." His smirk told her it was a lie. “Not that it matters.”

“I suppose not.” They’d gotten to the registers, and Charlotte headed directly to the self-checkout. Ted followed, walking to a different register, but she waited for him before she left.

“It was nice seeing you again,” she said when he came up.

“You too.” He smiled. “I’d say I’ve missed you.”   
“But you haven’t.” She returned his smile. “That’s alright. I’ll see you around.” She gave him a small wave, and started walking off.   
“Charlotte, hold up.” He reached for her shoulder, but she turned before he touched her. “If you don’t have a car, let me at least give you a ride.”

“It’s alright, it’s nice out.” Then she shrugged. “Actually, that would be great, thank you.” Charlotte had lived as a single woman in a big city for too long, she decided; she knew Ted well enough to give him her phone number, she could get in a car with him. Not to mention, Hatchetfield was a small town, and these kinds of things didn’t happen nearly as often, certainly not with someone she knew.

“Сome on, then.” He walked off towards the car park. “It might be nice out, but if you’re walking more than a block with that, well, I wouldn’t.”   
“That’s ‘cause you’re used to driving.” Charlotte put her stuff in the trunk of the car. She realised, with some surprise, that it was the same one he’d been driving when she knew him. They’d had sex in that car, probably too many times. She tried to shake the thought; Ted was a nice guy, and she liked him, but she really wasn’t interested in anything more than reconnecting with an old friend.

“You remember the car?” he asked, a little too innocent to not have noticed.

“I remember you almost crashing it.” Charlotte got in the passenger side, and Ted started the car.

He laughed a little. “If I recall, you were more or less responsible for that.”

She shouldn’t have mentioned it.

They didn’t really talk any more in the car, except for Charlotte giving directions. It was only a few minutes before Ted pulled up in front of her building. “This the place?” he asked.

“Yeah. Thanks for the ride.” Charlotte got out.

“No problem.” Ted got out as well and went to the back to help her get her stuff. “You sure you don’t need a hand up the stairs?”   
“I’m fine, thanks.” She smiled. “I’ll see you around, Ted.”   
“See you.” He gave her a half hug, and almost looked like he regretted it. Then he got back in the car and drove away, and Charlotte went back up to her studio to put everything away.

Charlotte didn’t really reconnect with old friends in Hatchetfield, but she did make new ones. Her younger cousin, Michael, had been in his late teens when she left, but he was nearly 30 now, and she felt like she could talk to him. Not least of all because he, as it turned out, knew what a broken marriage looked like.

He was the one who encouraged her to text Ted. “Look, Char, if this guy is someone you were close to, maybe you could be again. And when was the last time you had a date?”

They were having coffee together at Beanie’s. “I know, I know.” She sighed and stirred her coffee. “It’s not that simple, Michael. We were good friends, but we were also, well…”

“Yeah, you cheated on your husband with him, so what.” Michael did a dismissive wave. “I have had… Three? Four? Partners who initially cheated on their spouses with me. It’s not a big deal.”   
“None of that lasted,” she reminded him. “You shouldn’t be giving relationship advice at all.” She took a sip of the coffee; it was too bitter, but she didn’t want to stand up for the sugar.

Michael shrugged. “Text him. Ask him out.”   
Charlotte shook her head, but took her phone out. “I’ll text him.” She did; just to say hello, ask to catch up, nothing that could be interpreted as asking for a date. She didn’t want a date with Ted.

She left her phone on the table, and it buzzed within the minute. Michael raised an eyebrow, but she ignored in and checked the text. It was from Ted.  _ Sounds good! Do you have plans tonight? _

_ Not really. What were you thinking? _ She looked up at Michael. “You can wipe that smug smile off your face, kid.”

He didn’t. “Do you have a date?”

“No, I’m meeting with an old friend.”

_ Dinner at Richie’s?  _ He answered too fast, she thought.

Then again, so did she.  _ Sounds good. Meet you there at 7? _

Michael grinned at her. “You need to get out more.”

“I know, I know. It’s a start.” Charlotte finished her coffee. “Are you done? I’d like to run by your mother’s house before going out.”

“I’m done.” Michael grimaced. “Can you drop me off at my place first, take my car? I don’t have an excuse not to stay for dinner.”

“She just misses you, Michael.” Charlotte looked out the window. “She won’t be around forever, you know. Enjoy it while you can. But sure, I’ll drop you off, I’ll come by with the car later.”   
“Thanks Char.”


	2. Friends (With Benefits)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: I'll try to update daily  
> Me: *fails instantly*  
> Anyway, chapter 2 is longer because I didn't do chapters until I was done, but stuff is starting to happen now, which is fun

Charlotte arrived at Richie's exactly one minute past seven that evening. Ted's car was already in the lot, so she walked straight in; she’d dropped off Michael’s car on the way, it wasn’t a long walk.

He was at a table in the corner, waving; she walked over. "Hey Ted, good to see you."

He stood to give her a hug. "You too. Settling in okay?"

"Better than expected." She took her seat and smiled. "I'm surprised at how little has changed." Ted had changed, she noticed; she'd noticed when she'd run into him the week before, but she was noticing even more now. Streaks of grey in his dark hair — he evidently didn't bother dyeing it the way she did — and wrinkles around his eyes showed the years, but it wasn't just that. He was still handsome, but he seemed more muted.

Charlotte averted her eyes. It didn't do her any good to think too much about how he looked. Instead, she smiled. "By the way, do you have any recommendations for wine here?"

He smiled back. "Depends on what you want. Red, yes. White, no."

"Damn." She scanned the menu. "I’ll figure it out.” She put the menu away. “Tell me about Hatchetfield, I haven’t kept in touch with anyone but my family."

Ted shrugged. "It's been eleven years, that's a lot. Uhh, Bill quit his job and moved away a few years after you did, wanted to be closer to Alice. Paul got married, he and his wife Emma still live here, I still see them, actually. They have kids. I'm… Me."

Charlotte chuckled. "You're you?" she asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm me. Nothing has changed. I drive the same car, I live in the same apartment, I have the same job — I do get paid more, though — I'm still spending my free time with other men's wives. Me."

She raised an eyebrow. "And here I thought you'd grown up."

"Me?" he laughed. "Never. Did you know what you want? Waiter's on the way."

They ordered their food, separately, with the kind of practiced ease that friends had. Charlotte enjoyed it; it was good to know that she still had friends.

They chatted a bit more about nothing over dinner. Ted told her about Paul's kids, about other mutual friends as they remembered them, about whatever smalltown drama had happened. She told him about Utah, about her job in Salt Lake City, about the shitty boyfriend she'd had for a few years — he made fun of her for that, but gently — and about her family.

Once they were done eating and Charlotte was on her third glass of wine, it came up. "So," Ted said after a short lull in conversation. "You mentioned Sam having left town. How come you know?"

"Oh." Charlotte took another sip of wine, buying time. "I ran into him last month, when I was here for my father's funeral, so that was fun."

"How did that go?" Ted had lowered his voice; Charlotte remembered him doing so every time the conversation turned somewhere he was unsure of.

"It was fine." She didn't look at him, not directly. "I mean, he said he was moving. Down South, so it's not like he would've been any closer to where I was before, but… It's good to be home."

“It’s good to have you home.”

Charlotte wondered, suddenly, if he meant it or was trying to be flirtatious. Because sure, they’d been friends once, but they’d been lovers, too. Or maybe it was just because she still found him charming. “That’s good to hear.”

Ted glanced at his watch. “Do you want dessert?”

“No thanks.” She smiled at him. “I think it’s about time I went home, it’s about half an hour to walk.”

“I’ll give you a ride.” Ted flagged down a waiter. “It’s not a problem.”

They paid separately. Charlotte offered to pay for Ted, as a thanks for the rides, but he waved her off.

The car ride was silent. Charlotte watched Ted drive and was reminded, not for the first time that evening, why she’d found him so charming all those years ago. And maybe Michael was right; maybe she wouldn’t mind a date.

So when Ted pulled up in front of her building, she smiled and didn’t get out of the car. “Do you wanna come up for some coffee?” she asked.

He smiled back. “Sure, sounds nice.” He parked the car properly and followed her up the stairs.

Charlotte made coffee, and they sat on the couch and talked. And somehow the hours slipped away, and somehow it got personal.

“I considered calling you,” she said, when they got onto the topic of her leaving. “When I’d settled in Salt Lake, I considered calling you and inviting you to come out to visit me.”   
“Why didn’t you?” Ted’s mug was long empty, but he was still holding it, fidgeting with the edges.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I wanted a fresh start, I think — as little contact to this as possible. And you reminded me of Sam, you were what he was supposed to have been. So I didn’t want that.”

He nodded. “I don’t blame you.” He put his mug down. “I don’t think we could’ve been happy, then.”

She wanted to ask. She didn’t. “No, you’re probably right. Wonder where we’d be today if we’d stayed.”

“Right here.” He laughed. “I don’t think it would’ve lasted. I wasn’t prepared to put time into it. So we would’ve been here. Reconnecting.”

“Change of topic.” It was something she’d done often with Ted; when things got a little too close, a little too uncomfortable, she’d tell him before changing the topic, so that he knew not to return to it. “I’ve told you about my love life, tell me about yours.”   
He smirked, leaning back. “It’s the same. After you it was Heather, until her husband found out, then it was Jane… Other people. Always other people.”

“Who is it right now?” She had no reason to ask, but she was curious. If nothing else because it made for good gossip, she figured.

“No one.” He pulled his legs up to sit cross-legged on the couch, facing her. "Hatchetfield is small, there isn't always gonna be women cheating on their husbands. Well, there might be, but they're younger."

"Of course they are." Charlotte remembered a similar conversation with Michael, days before. And she had to admit that had she met this Ted when she was 34, she probably wouldn't have slept with him.

"The older ones have gotten divorced." He sent her a cheap smile. "Then it's not fun anymore."

She rolled her eyes at him. "It's not supposed to be fun, Ted. It's supposed to be good."

"Fun is good." He glanced at his watch. "It's getting late, I should probably head home soon." He didn't make a move to get up.

"Probably," Charlotte agreed. She didn't make a move to kick him out.

They sat in silence for a few moments. "You could stay the night," Charlotte suggested. "The couch ain't half bad, I slept on it before I got the bed, and I have a bottle of wine for a special occasion."

Ted didn't immediately answer, but he also didn't get up. Then he smiled. "Sounds good. I can't say I wasn't a bit jealous of you drinking wine at dinner."

"You had a glass." Charlotte laughed and got up to fetch the wine and some glasses.

Nothing happened that night. They talked, they discussed their previous relationship, but although they sat a little too close on the couch, nothing happened. And although they slept in the same room, by virtue of it being a studio apartment, they were on opposite sides of the room, and both half dressed.

Ted left before breakfast in the morning, but he hugged her goodbye and thanked her for a good night. He promised he'd host next time, which meant that there would be a next time.

Charlotte considered it a success.

So did Michael when she told him about it over coffee two days later. "You like this guy, don't you?" he asked.

Charlotte shrugged. "I don't know. I loved him once, or thought I did. He's a good friend."

Michael did not look convinced. "A good friend? Is that all?"

"It is now. It wasn't always." She stirred sugar in her coffee as an excuse to avert her eyes. "It might not always be."

“Char, do you like him? It’s that simple.”   
“It isn’t.”

“Yes it is.” Michael caught her eyes. “Look, you’re single, so is he by the sound of it, all you gotta do is ask him out. Or just kiss him. It works very well.”   
“Right.” She rolled her eyes at him. “I can do it myself, Michael.” She needed a change of topic. “How are your girls doing?”

That did the trick; Michael started talking about his best friend, her wife, and their daughter, and Charlotte avoided any more talks about her lovelife — or lack of same — before he left.

Charlotte stayed at the cafe for a while, getting another coffee. She’d brought her PC, and there was job searching to be done.   
She got quite caught up in it, so she started when someone took a seat across from her. He was vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t quite place him. “Hi?”

“Hey Charlotte.” He smiled. “Ted said you were back in town, I thought it might be you. How are you doing?”   
That’s when it clicked. “Paul, hi.” She smiled. “Doing good, trying to find a job.” She gestured to her PC. “How about you? Settling down, I hear.”

“Yeah.” He smiled at a woman standing in line. “That’s my wife, Emma. The kids are with their grandparents today.”   
“Date night, huh?” She smiled. “Sounds good.”   
“Yeah.” Emma came over with their coffees. “Emma, this is Charlotte, we used to work together. Charlotte, this is my wife, Emma.”   
“Hi.” Charlotte smiled.

“Hey.” Emma looked at Paul. “Did you find a table?”   
“Oh, no, sorry, I got caught talking.” He stood up and kissed her cheek. “I’ll be over in a second.”   
“Sure.” Emma walked off towards a table.

Paul looked back at Charlotte. “Hey, tell you what, why don’t I give you my number, then you can come over for dinner someday. Would that be alright?”   
“I’d love that.” Charlotte took out her phone and handed it to Paul. “It’s nice to reconnect.”   
“It is.” Paul smiled. “I’ll see you around.”   
“See you.”   
Paul went to join his wife, and Charlotte decided that it was about time she headed home.

Paul texted her the next day.  _ We're getting a few people together for dinner on Saturday, wanna come? _

Charlotte was slightly surprised to be invited, but she was happy about it nonetheless.  _ Sounds lovely, thank you _ .

Saturday afternoon, she got a text from Ted.  _ Want me to pick you up on the way to Paul's? I know you still don't have a car. _

Her instinct was to decline, just because she liked the walk.  _ Thank you, yeah. Just let me know when you're here. _

He picked her up early. "I may have had an ulterior motive," he admitted when she remarked on it. "I usually bring a joke gift for Emma, but her parents will be here for this, so I need to find something appropriate, I figured you could help."

She couldn't help but laugh at him. "Of course."

They stopped at a florist, and Charlotte helped picking out an arrangement with some chocolate for Emma.

The evening went smoothly. Emma's parents were there, Paul's sister, Ted and Charlotte — who became a unit by virtue of Ted being the only one besides Paul who Charlotte knew, and by virtue of them arriving together — and two of Emma's college friends. Paul and Emma's kids, twin girls, were eight, and constantly claiming switched names. Charlotte didn't get a hang of who was who, but their parents clearly knew, and Ted seemed to know as well.

As nice as the evening was, Charlotte was grateful to Ted for leaving first and offering her a ride again. She took him up on the offer, said her goodbyes, and left. With Ted.

Once in the car, she sank into her seat with a sigh.

Ted glanced at her. "I was gonna invite you round for coffee, but you look tired."

"It's not too bad, it's just so many new people." She smiled a little. "Coffee sounds good about now, by the way. But it's a lot of catching up, with Paul and with new people."

"Yeah, of course." He was driving slightly too fast, but he seemed confident. “It can’t be easy to come back.”   
“It isn’t, but it’s worth it.” Charlotte looked out the window.

The rest of the ride was silent. Charlotte looked out at the streetlights passing them by, and didn’t say anything. She was vaguely aware of Ted halfway reaching out for her a few times, but he didn’t touch her, so she didn’t react.

“Here we are,” he said, switching off the car.

She got out and looked at the building. She had memories of this place. Ted led the way inside, and more memories came back. Not all of them were pleasant; crying on the couch he still had in the living room, falling in the hallway, fighting in the bedroom. Most were pleasant; fucking on that same couch, kissing him goodbye in the entrance as she left, falling asleep in his arms on those precious few days she hadn’t had to go home in the evening.

Charlotte shook her head to clear her thoughts. “It looks so familiar,” she said, wondering.

Ted chuckled and turned to her. “I haven’t changed much, I think.” He hooked his jacket on a peg and stepped towards the kitchen. “Coffee?”   
“Yes please.” Charlotte hung her own jacket and followed him. “I know, it’s just weird to be back. I never thought I’d be.”

“I never thought you would either.” Ted started the coffee machine, and leaned against the counter. “I used to wish you would.”

Charlotte went to get mugs, in the cabinet opposite where he was standing, so she didn’t have to meet his eyes. “After I broke up with you, or after I left town?” she asked as she handed him the mugs.

“Both. Mostly after you stopped coming here, though.” He accepted the mugs and put them down. “After you left town, well, it was easier.”

“I suppose.” She leaned against the table next to him. “I… I considered coming back, then. To you. Before leaving.”   
“Why didn’t you?” Ted was next to her, too close, and leaning in. “What kept you away?”

She shrugged, considered moving away, but stayed. “I had to. If I lost my resolve for this, staying away from you, maybe I’d lose my resolve to leave Sam.”

“And now?” He put a hand on her thigh.

She looked at it, but left it. “Now I have no reason to be here in the first place.” She took his hand, linking their fingers together. “I have no reason to leave, either.”

They stayed like that for a while, their hands intertwined and resting on Charlotte’s thigh, neither of them saying anything. The coffee machine went off, and neither of them moved.

Ted was the first one to move. He let go of her hand, but only to put an arm around her and pull her closer. She leaned into the touch.

“Do you still want coffee?” he asked, leaning his head on hers.

It was so much slower than she remembered. She didn’t think she’d ever been the one to kiss him first. “Coffee is good.” There was a first time for everything; she stretched up to kiss him, quickly, softly. She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to see his reaction.

He kissed her again. “Coffee is good,” he agreed. His voice had dropped, scratchy, and he still had an arm around her, making no move to get going.

Now that she knew he was fine, Charlotte straightened up. “Let’s get coffee, then.” She reached for the mugs and poured for both of them, handing Ted his coffee.

They went to the couch. Ted sat immediately next to her, still keeping one arm around her, holding his coffee with the other. He didn’t kiss her.

She didn’t kiss him. “Did you have plans for tonight?”

“What do you mean?” Ted genuinely seemed confused.

Charlotte sighed. “When you invited me up here. Did you plan this?”

“No.” He smiled, almost a smirk. Then it turned more genuine. “I just wanted to invite a friend for coffee.”

“Sorry for ruining it.” She laughed a little. “I didn’t mean to.”   
“You didn’t.” He smiled and kissed her forehead. “I can’t say I’m not pleased by this turn of events.”

“Me too.” She let the silence hang for a while. “Me too.”

Ted put his coffee down and held her face as he kissed her again. He held her eyes when he broke the kiss. "I don't think I'm any better."

"How do you mean?" Charlotte put her own coffee away to put her hand over his, holding it against her cheek. She didn't break eye contact.

He sighed. "Than ten years ago.”

Charlotte laughed at him, softly, and turned to kiss his palm. She let their hands drop, still intertwined. “I don’t want what we had ten years ago, Ted.” She glanced at their hands; when she looked back up, he’d averted his eyes. “I hadn’t planned for this. Let’s just take it in the morning.”

“You’ll be okay with that?” He met her eyes again, a sly smile playing about his lips.

“I suggested it, didn’t I?” Charlotte lost her patience. She pulled herself into Ted’s lap and kissed him, and this time, it wasn’t soft, wasn’t slow, wasn’t sweet.

This time, there was no breaking away, and no talking. They had sex on the couch, the way they’d done before, and although it had been so many years, Charlotte found herself remembering how he liked it. He remembered how she liked it, too, or he just got lucky; either way, it was good.

She was on top of him when they finished, so she kept them on the couch, pinning him down. She was tired, but she knew she either had to go home or ask to stay the night before falling asleep, but for a moment, she wanted to stay where she was, with Ted’s arms around her.

He kissed her temple. “It’s been a long time since I’ve fucked anyone who knew how to fuck me,” he said, his voice just a tad rough. He chuckled. “It was good.”   
She chuckled with him. “It was.” Her voice wasn’t nearly as rough, but it was too breathy. “I’m tired now, though.”

“I’ll take you to bed.” He sat up, supporting her weight, so that she was curled up in his lap.

She laughed a little at him. “Ted, I know you could carry me when we were young, but I’m not that light anymore, and you’re not exactly young.”   
He scoffed. “I can carry you.” He stood up, lifting her with him.

She shook her head at him, but let him carry her to the bedroom. “You’ll ruin your back.”   
“That’s alright.” He set her down. “You look beautiful.”

He could really still make her blush. “Thank you.”

Once they were both in bed, he opened his arm and pulled her close. “Goodnight, Charlotte.”   
“Goodnight Ted.”


	3. First Dates for Old Relationships

Charlotte woke up still in Ted’s arms, which surprised her. She usually rolled away from whoever she was sleeping with; she’d done it with Sam after the first few years, with Ted, with the boyfriends she’d had between then and now.

Ted was already awake. “Goodmorning.”   
“Goodmorning.” She smiled.

Ted let her go and got up. “I’ll make you breakfast before I take you home.” He was already half dressed by the time he finished his sentence.

“Sure.” Charlotte got up and got dressed just as Ted left the room.

They didn’t talk until they sat down to eat. “So.” Ted looked up at her. “What’s the verdict?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. It was good, I won’t regret it, but I think I’m too old for just this.” She stirred her coffee. “So do you want to go on a date?” Didn’t hurt to ask, she figured.

“I already said, I don’t think I’m any better.” Ted reached across the table to take her hand. “Charlotte, I haven’t had a real relationship in 20 years.”   
“That doesn’t matter.” She waved him off. “What matters is what you want. I don't care if you think you don't know how to have a relationship, no one does, we'll figure that out together. Do you  _ want _ to go on a date with me?"

He was silent for a while, not meeting her eyes, but not letting go of her hand either. "I think… I think I'd like to think about it."

Charlotte let go of his hand and leaned back. "Of course, Ted. Just let me know."

"Thank you." He sent her a smile. "I'll get back to you as soon as I know."

"Good." She looked out the window. "I won't wait for you."

He raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect you to."

Ted wasn't the kind of guy she dated, Charlotte reminded herself. "Of course not." He wasn't any better, necessarily, but he was different, and she thought it was good. She was too old for anything else.

They ate the rest of their breakfast in silence. Charlotte didn't want to talk to him, just then; she hadn't gotten what she wanted, she'd just gotten a bittersweet reminder of why she'd left. And good sex, but that could only make up for so much.

Ted drove her home and kissed her goodbye in the car. She let him, but didn't put any enthusiasm into it. She was more mad at him than she expected.

She didn't stay mad at him for very long, but she restrained herself from texting him, anyway.

Ironically, she was chatting to Michael at a family gathering when Ted called her. She excused herself to go pick up. "This is Charlotte."

"Hi, Ted here."

"Oh hey Ted." She caught herself smiling a little, but she was alone in the hallway. "What's up?"

"If I pick you up on Saturday at seven, will you go on a date with me?"

She smiled wider. "I'd love that." She leaned against the wall. "What were you thinking of doing?"

"I haven't decided yet, I'll let you know. See you Saturday."

"See you." Charlotte hung up and smiled at her phone.

Michael caught her when she went back to her mother's living room. "Who was that?"

"It was Ted. We're going out on Saturday."

Her mother was close enough to overhear. "Do you have a date, Char?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes, but she was fond of her mother. "Yes, ma, I have a date."

"How wonderful." Her mother dragged her to the table. "Come tell us all about it."

So Charlotte told them. They all already knew that she'd cheated on Sam, so she just told them she'd reconnected with that guy, and was going out with him.

Michael's mother, Mary, shook her head. "You shouldn't be going out with a man like that, Char, it isn't right?"

"Why not?" Charlotte reached for a drink; she knew her aunt Mary, knew she'd need a drink for this conversation.

"It isn't right. Cheating isn't right, you deserve better."

"Yes, but Ted never cheated on anyone," Charlotte reminded her. She looked at Michael, who winked at her, but didn't look like he was about to jump in to help her. "I cheated on Sam, and Sam cheated on me. But that's not Ted's fault, and it's not Zoey's fault, either; it's mine and it's Sam's."

"Charlotte can do whatever she likes," her mother shot in, and Charlotte sent her a grateful smile. "This Ted sounds like a wonderful young man, and he's always been good to my Charlotte."

"Yes, but Magda—" Mary began, but she was cut off by Michael.

"Magda is right, mama, Charlotte can do whatever she likes." He sent her a quick smile. "No need for you to get involved."

The conversation moved on after that, but Mary kept trying to tell Charlotte about why Ted was a bad choice, and Charlotte kept reminding Mary that, by her logic, Charlotte was the bad choice and not Ted. It didn't work, but then again, she hadn't expected it to.

Charlotte spent much of Saturday fretting. Ted still hadn't told her where they were going or what they were doing, and he wasn't answering her texts, so she had no way of finding out.

Eventually, she settled on wearing trousers and a nice shirt, and eating a light snack in case food wasn't part of the plan.

He called her one minute before seven to say he was outside, so she went out to join him. He was standing outside of the car, smiling at her. "Hi Ted." She smiled back.

He pulled her in for a quick kiss. "Hi Charlotte." He held her hand. "Ready to go?"

"Yes, but for what?" She squeezed his hand and smiled. She could get used to this Ted.

"Oh fuck." He pulled out his phone and switched it on. "I'm so sorry, I meant to answer you. Just for dinner. There's a restaurant just around the corner, I figured we'd walk. Might be nice to be able to walk back."

She laughed at him. "That's alright. Let's walk then." She let go of his hand as they walked, just because it was easier. He didn't seem to mind, still smiling.

"Table for two, name of Ted Richards," Ted said as they got to the restaurant.

"Right this way, sir." The waiter escorted them to a table in the corner, by a large window.

Ted pulled out a chair for Charlotte. She thanked him, but it also made her chuckle a little. She appreciated that he was trying, at least.

And he really was trying. He asked if they should split an appetizer, let her pick which one, ordered wine, tried to make smalltalk. It was almost cute.

After they'd finished their appetizer and were waiting for the next food, Charlotte leaned over to take his hand. "Ted, sweetheart, you don't have to try."

"What do you mean?" He wasn't meeting her eyes.

"I mean… This is nice. Thank you. It's a good date. But you're trying to make it a date. Don't worry about it; it's just us, Ted and Charlotte, having dinner." She smiled, trying to catch his eyes. "I appreciate it, though."

He smiled back. "As I said, 20 years, I have no idea what I'm doing." Then his smile widened, getting that slightly sly hint that usually meant he was about to say something stupid. "I'm your sweetheart now, am I?"

Not as stupid as she'd expected; maybe he had grown up, after all. "We're dating" she replied with a shrug. "It felt appropriate."

"I like it." He squeezed her hand, but let go quickly, as their food arrived.

It was less stilted after that. Ted reverted to being Ted, cracking jokes, pretending to be callous in between soft smiles and little squeezes of her hand. Charlotte rolled her eyes at him and smiled back and occasionally called him out on his bullshit.

Ted insisted on paying for both of them. "It's a date, Charlotte. It's tradition."

"Fine." She let him. It was easier than arguing, she knew, and she did feel a little special. "Just this once."

"Not letting go of your catchphrase?" Ted put the money down on the table. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah." Charlotte stood up and let him lead her outside.

He put an arm around her shoulders as they walked back to her studio. It was more difficult to walk like that, he was much taller than her, but she was grateful for the warmth, and for the contact.

She elbowed him softly in the side once they got inside. "Don't you dare say you don't know what you're doing, this was a lovely evening."

He smiled. "It was." He looked indecisive for a moment, then pulled her close. "Thanks to you."

"Not just me." Charlotte wrapped both arms around Ted, letting her hands rest flat on his back. "I swear, it's been almost 30 years since I was on a proper date."

He hummed softly in response, his chin resting on her hair. "Wait, back up, a moment. 30 years ago, you would've been what, 17?" He stepped back, his hands still resting on her shoulders.

She put her hands on his hips and looked up at him. "Yeah. 29 years ago, then. Mine and Sam's first date, when I was 18. But we didn't go out after that, not like this." She stepped closer and got on her toes to kiss him, just a short press of her lips against his. "I don't wanna talk about that."

"Alright." He smiled, but didn't meet her eyes. "But seriously, you're telling me you've been a hot divorcee in a big city for 11 years and you haven't actually been on a date?" He met her eyes then, his smile almost puckish.

The easiest way to shut Ted up had always been to kiss him, so that's what Charlotte did. She was also blushing a little, but he wasn't gonna notice if she kissed him.

He backed her up against the wall, and although she was perfectly fine just kissing for a while, she sort of had a plan, so she pushed him away after a second. "Ted, sweetheart, I have a suggestion."

He raised an eyebrow. "Is it a better suggestion than me kissing you, because if not, I'm not interested."

"Not immediately, but it does involve sex eventually." She shrugged. "But I suppose this does too."

"Let me hear it."

Charlotte freed herself and took his hand, dragging him to the kitchen counter. “Come on.” She left him standing a few steps away and went to get glasses.

“What are you doing?”

"Shut up, you know what I’m doing." She made them drinks, too much cordial and not nearly enough alcohol, the way Ted liked them.

He raised an eyebrow. “I thought you thought I’d grown up.”

"Keep shutting up." She went to kiss him and handed him his drink. "I'm too old for a lot of things, Ted, and it includes your bullshit."

The corner of his mouth quirked up in a smile, but he didn't say anything, just took the drink.

They stood in silence for a few moments, sipping their drinks. “I missed you,” Charlotte said.

“I missed you too.” Ted kissed her. “Why the drinks?”   
She shrugged. “Old times’ sake.” She leaned against him. “Alright, I made the mistake of wearing heels tonight, I need to sit." She dragged him to the bed and sat on the edge, putting her glass down on the counter.

He put his glass on the counter as well, but didn't sit next to her. Instead, he knelt on the floor in front of her, back straight; he was tall enough to be level with her, then. He leaned in to kiss her. "Will you forgive my terrible timing? There's something we need to talk about."

"Sweetheart…" Charlotte hesitated, then reminded herself, again, that they had time. "I'm tipsy, and so are you, going by how flushed you are, but sure, give it a shot."

"If I waited 'til I was sober I might never bring it up." Ted's smile softened, but he averted his eyes. "Eleven years ago… When you were leaving, you told me you loved me." He held up a hand to stop her from interrupting. "I know that probably isn't true anymore, but I wanted to say, I loved you too." He shrugged. "Probably not true anymore, it's been a long time, but I wanted you to know. I spent a year wishing I'd told you."

Charlotte smiled and leaned forward to kiss him. "It's not true anymore." She wasn't sure. "But I do care about you, and I did love you. I can again."

He smiled again and met her eyes. "Me too." He rested his hands on her hips. "Now that that's over…" He glanced past her.

"Get up here." She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him in.

Sex was good, and Charlotte had always enjoyed it, with anyone. But she was unaccustomed, still, to having sex with someone who cared about her experience of it. Ted cared; sometimes she suspected he was more focused on her having a good time. She was willing to let him; she’d missed this.

They didn’t talk about whether or not he was staying the night, and Charlotte was just grateful to fall asleep in his arms.


	4. Boyfriend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daily updates from here on out! Not at a regular time of day, but daily, I promise.

The next day was Sunday, so they ate breakfast together, taking their time. Charlotte made pancakes, Ted scrambled eggs. They sat on her couch, close together, precariously balancing their plates and mugs on the tiny coffee table.

It was, Charlotte figured, the first time she’d really had the sense of her and Ted having a relationship outside of friends having sex. There had been the date the night before, but that had almost been friendly. But Sunday morning kisses, sticky with maple syrup, and laughter between gulps of coffee, that was a relationship.

She didn’t share her insight with Ted. Instead, she tried to let him reach that same conclusion. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever sat down to have breakfast with you.”   
Ted, mouth full of pancakes, looked thoughtful for a moment. “Mr. Davidson’s 50th,” he said, swallowing. “We had breakfast in the office. Other than that, no.”   
“I remember. I remember you trying to kiss me in front of everyone.”   
“Only on the cheek!” Ted laughed. “It wouldn’t have mattered. Everyone knew, anyway.”

“Did they?” Charlotte shook her head. “How?”   
“They just figured.” Ted shrugged. “After you left, Paul came and asked if I missed you. I asked him why I would, and he looked at me like I was an idiot, so he told me that everyone knew. That they’d bet whether you’d stay with me after the divorce.”

“What did you tell him?”   
“What?”   
“Did you miss me.” Charlotte couldn’t help a teasing smile; he’d already half admitted to it, but she wanted to hear him say it, if nothing else then because he’d smile.

He did smile. “I told Paul to fuck off because yes, I did miss you, but I wasn’t gonna tell  _ Paul _ .” Then he laughed. “Did you miss me?”   
“Yeah.” She smiled back and kissed his cheek, leaving a smear of lipstick and syrup. "Of course I did."

He rubbed his cheek, then looked resignedly at his hand. "I'll just take a shower before going home."

"When do you have to leave?" It was Ted, he'd planned exactly when he wanted to go, and she was surprised he hadn't left yet.

He shrugged. "I don't have plans. I have to be at work in the morning, of course, but I can stay if you'd like. Or you can come to my place, we'd have a little more space." He grabbed some coffee. "I figured I'd try to be some kind of boyfriend and have my weekend free for you."

Charlotte didn't immediately know how to react, so she just smiled and wrapped an arm around him, giving him a slight squeeze. She'd wanted him to realise that it was a relationship, but she hadn't expected him to put words on it so soon, nor so casually. "Thank you." She looked into her coffee, still in her other hand. "I think we should go to your place eventually, but yeah, I'd love to spend the day with you."

Ted kissed the top of her head. "Let's get this all cleaned up, then we can go to my place and shower and such. I also don't have a change of clothes here."

"You should've, you knew you were sleeping here." She smiled. "But yeah, sounds like a plan."

They finished breakfast and cleaned up, then drove to Ted's place. Charlotte stayed until he had to go to work in the morning.

They’d only been together for a couple of weeks, but Charlotte knew that this was right. She’d felt that way some 30 years before, she reminded herself, but that was different; she'd been 18. At least she convinced herself it was different.

Ted didn’t seem to mind. He was working, and Charlotte still wasn’t, so they didn’t spend every minute together, and there’d be days where they didn’t see each other at all. But he’d text her on his lunch break, sometimes, and in the evenings, and most days he’d drive out just to sleep at her place. She was grateful; she’d been worried that he’d be flippant or dismissive, but while he was still Ted, still slightly distant, she didn’t doubt him.

So she shouldn’t have been surprised enough to drop her coffee mug when he, one morning after staying at her place, said, “You know, I’m keeping half my wardrobe in my car these days, it’d be much easier if we lived together.” His head snapped round to look at her when he heard the mug shatter. “Charlotte? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, sorry.” She knelt down to pick up the pieces. “Just surprised.”

He knelt next to her and helped her. “By what?” He waited for an answer that didn’t come. “Was it the living together comment? I didn’t mean—”   
“Don’t apologise.” She forced a smile, a practiced gesture. “Caught me on the wrong foot, is all.”

“Alright.” He looked at her strangely. “I gotta leave for work, but I’ll be by in the afternoon, if that’s alright?”

“Sure.” She smiled and kissed him. “Go ahead, I’ll see you later.”

“See you.” He still looked worried, but he left.

Charlotte sat on the couch and stared at the table for what felt like hours. She shouldn’t be surprised; they’d only been together for a few weeks, but they’d known each other for years, and Ted was always calm. It made sense he'd be flippant about living together, too, now that he'd decided to actually have a relationship. But for Charlotte, so used to being careful, it was ridiculous.

Eventually, she picked herself off of the couch and went to get another mug of coffee.

Ted texted her around noon.  _ You alright? You looked a little shaken this morning. _

Her instinct was to appease him, but she didn't know what he wanted to hear, so she settled for honesty.  _ A little, but I'm fine. We'll talk when you're off, alright? _

He sent a thumbs up, and Charlotte moved on with her day. There were jobs to apply for and interviews to prepare for.

Charlotte had been in Hatchetfield for nearly three months before she found a job. Between having savings and the inheritance from her father, she managed to pay bills, but she was happy to be back at work, even if it wasn't the world's best job.

She and Ted were still together, and still living separately. He still stayed with her at least four nights a week, and she'd be by his place for dinner every once in a while, but they hadn't brought up the idea of living together.

Until, one night, Charlotte was talking about wanting to find a new apartment. "What for?" Ted asked. They were in bed, both of them needing to get up for work in the morning.

"I don't wanna live in a studio, Ted." Charlotte chuckled. "I want to be able to go to a different room to sleep and to cook."

"No, I get that." He kissed her head. "I just meant… If you want, you can come live with me."

"Oh Ted…" There was no real point to saying no, she supposed. "I know, but it's so soon. Honestly… It doesn't feel like the right time."

"Sorry." He pulled her close. "I didn't mean to push it, if you don't want to then you shouldn't. I'm just saying it's an option."

"I know." She closed her eyes, face pressed against his chest. “I know, I just… It’s a lot.”   
“That’s alright.” He kissed the top of her head. “The offer stands.”

It took less than a week for Charlotte to decide to take Ted up on the offer. It was another month after that of just vaguely organising things, of figuring out the logistics. Charlotte hated having to move again so soon, but she would’ve had to anyway, if she’d gotten her own apartment, and with Ted, it was better.

Paul and Emma came by with their girls and helped her move. Charlotte finally learned to tell them apart; Janie wore a blue bow in her hair, given to her by Emma’s parents, while Lizzie had a red one. Emma promised they wouldn’t trade them, but Charlotte wasn’t so sure.

Ted and Charlotte offered to buy dinner, as a thank you, but they were going, so they ended up having the evening to themselves. Charlotte preferred that.

“Cheers.” Ted raised his glass and smiled at her. “To a new place.”   
“To an old place.” She clinked their glasses together.

Because it was an old place, and familiar; Charlotte hadn’t moved around too much, though Ted had offered her to. She wanted the familiarity, but a few of her own things fit in well.

They chatted over dinner, and somehow ended up talking about Ted. “You’re a lot nicer,” Charlotte remarked. “I mean… Well no, actually I do mean that. You’re a lot nicer.”   
“Than what?” He was grinning a little bit, eyebrow raised.

She shook her head at him. “Than when we were young. You used to be callous, what happened to you?” She reached over to take his hand. “Not that I mind. Not that I ever minded your callousness, either.” Technically a lie, but oh well. “I appreciate this too, though. But what happened?”   
He shrugged, eyes averted. “I uhh… I broke my own rules, I guess. There was this woman I was seeing, and she was… Well. I fell a little bit in love with her, but you know, I wasn’t good enough for her, so when she finally left her husband, she moved halfway across the country instead of staying with me.” He smiled softly at her across the table. “That kind of sucked, so I figured, I wasn’t gonna be stupid enough to let that happen again.”

Charlotte smiled back. She wasn’t stupid; he was talking about her. “I love you,” she said softly, still smiling.

“I know.” He squeezed her hand. “I’m not that much nicer.”

She’d take it. He’d get there when he got there.

And, she reflected after dinner, he didn’t have to say the words to tell her he loved her. His insistence on doing the chores that evening was enough, and the way he smiled when she helped him anyway, the way he gently pushed her away from the sink when she started the dishes.


	5. Sam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not as bad as the title suggests. Maybe. That's your judgment, I suppose.  
> Anyway, I love those of you who read this a lot, we'll be done by the end of this week! Yay!

There was some kind of routine to their life after that. Both of them worked, but Charlotte had to admit that coming home to Ted — or him coming home to her — was something she hadn’t really known how much she missed. Not Ted, specifically, just someone.

Someone, she reflected, who wouldn’t yell at her.

She mentioned this to Ted one evening, sitting on the couch together, and he looked at her strangely. “Charlotte… I know Sam wasn’t good to you, but was he ever, you know, abusive?”

Charlotte nodded. “I mean, not… I don’t want to say ‘not really’ because I know, I know, but not… Badly.”   
“Do you wanna talk about it?” Ted’s voice was strangely quiet, and while he did meet her eyes, he seemed evasive.

“I think I do,” Charlotte replied, nodding slowly. “I’ve talked about it before, but only to a therapist. It uhh… It started about ten years after we got married. Well, I suppose it had been bad for about a year, but not like that. Just distant. I think it started with him, but it’s hard to say, and he might feel differently. Either way, he started drinking too much. A drink after work would turn into five, and then he’d yell. At first only when he was drunk, but then also when he was sober.” Charlotte was staring straight ahead, clutching Ted’s hand. He wasn’t saying anything. “He always apologised almost immediately, when he realised it made me uncomfortable. But he didn’t stop doing it. I think that’s when the cheating started, but I never asked. All I know is that he’d come home smelling of some other woman’s perfume, with lipstick on his collar. I told myself I’d never sink to that level, but you know how that went.” She chuckled a little.

Ted chuckled as well. “I feel like you were justified at that point.”

She chuckled with him. “Maybe. It was another two years. He yelled and apologised, cheated and pretended I didn’t know. Or maybe he thought I was stupid. He convinced me that he was alright, that he wasn’t doing anything wrong. Sometimes he’d make it seem like it was my fault, if he yelled at me for not having dinner ready, or for being home late. Mostly he just made it seem like not a big deal. And maybe it wasn’t, I don’t know. But it upset me. And then you… Well, you know what happened. You took me home after an office party, and we had sex, and it was the first time in years I felt wanted. So even though it made me feel bad, I kept coming back. Sam didn’t know, and for two years, things were slightly better, just because I had somewhere to go and feel better. But Sam got worse, more aggressive.”

“Did he hit you?” Ted was running his thumb over the back of her hand, looking at her, but not trying to catch her eyes.

She shook her head. “He threatened. He’d raise his hand sometimes, but he didn’t hit me. Not… When I told him I was leaving, when I told him I wanted a divorce, I told him about the yelling and the cheating, and about you. He hit me then, slapped me, just once. He apologised. I stayed the night at Paul’s that night, actually, I didn’t want to share a bed with him. But I went back the next day and slept in the same bed as him for five months. He never hit me again. I don’t think he ever meant the apologies for yelling, but I do think he regretted hitting me.” She looked at Ted and smiled. “It’s nice to talk about it.”

“That’s good.” He scooted a little closer and wrapped an arm around her. “I know there isn’t really anything to do about it now, but… If I ever do anything that makes you uncomfortable, I want you to tell me. I’ll try to be better.”

She leaned into him a little bit. “You already are,” she said, half whispering. “A lot better.”

He did smile properly at that. “I love you.”

It was the first time he’d said it directly. “I love you too.” She hadn’t said it often, but she’d said it. “But you knew that.”   
“I did.” He kissed her hair. “I’m sure you knew I love you too. Have for a while.”   
Charlotte freed herself so she could look at him with a raised eyebrow. “Eleven years?” she asked.

Ted chuckled, then shrugged. “More or less. I didn’t think about it while you were gone, but I did love you then, and I do love you now.”   
“I’ll take it.” Charlotte leaned forward to kiss him. “I’m tired, sweetheart. Take me to bed?”

He laughed. “Sure.” He stood up and picked her up off the couch. “You know, as much as I want to say this is easy, I am not young anymore.” He smiled at her and kissed her nose. “But young enough to do this just now.”

She shook her head slightly. “Be careful, Ted,” she admonished, but she let him carry her to bed. She wanted to be embarrassed, but mostly, she was just happy.

They were on a date in Clyvesdale; it was a habit they'd developed, going out, and those were Charlotte's favourite evenings.

Ted coughed subtly and nodded to something behind her. She turned to look.

Sam was making his way towards their table. There was a smile on his face, one that she, even after so many years, knew all too well; a smile that meant that he was fuming. "Hello Charlotte. Fancy running into you here."

"Hi Sam." She tried to sound pleasant, but landed somewhere around cold; she was alright with that. "What are you doing here."

"Just in town to visit some friends. I saw you and your…" He looked at Ted. "Your  _ boy _ through the window, figured I'd come say hi."

"Hi." Ted was making no effort to conceal his hatred, and if he was, he was making a bad job of it. "You've done what you came for, now beat it." He did another nod, towards the door this time.

Sam stared at him. "Now now, boy, I'm just talking to my wife."

"Ex wife," Charlotte corrected. "Sam, Ted is right, if there's nothing else you want, you should go." Although it had been so many years, talking back to Sam filled her with fear. She reached for Ted's hand, and noticed how Sam's expression changed.

He looked at Ted. "Be careful with her," he said. "She's a cheater."

"Even the most faithful of women would cheat on you," Ted replied evenly.

Charlotte was still looking at Sam. "And it doesn't matter anymore. I'd like you to leave."

"You're so good at leaving, though, why don't you leave?" Sam took a step closer.

Ted stood up. "Alright buddy, that's enough out of you. Come on, time to go." He gave Charlotte's hand a quick squeeze, then let go to put a hand on Sam's back. "You've said what you came to say, it's rude to stay in a restaurant without ordering." He gave Sam a gentle push, but he stayed standing.

"Don't touch me." Sam stared at Ted.

"Then stop harassing my girlfriend, alright? Get out. There's a good boy." Ted patted Sam's back, and let his hand drop.

Charlotte, watching it play out in front of her, knew what would happen next, recognised the way Sam's body tensed. She still screamed when Sam punched Ted. "Ted!" She ran over to him; he'd fallen. "Are you alright?" She knelt next to him.

"I'm fine." He was holding a hand to his nose, and blood was coming through.

Charlotte looked up at Sam, then immediately looked away. A few members of the waitstaff were making their way over, two of them escorting Sam away, one leaving in another direction, and one kneeling next to Charlotte and Ted. "Should I get them to send an ambulance?" she asked, looking at Ted.

He shook his head. "No, no, I'm fine. Just uhh, if I can have a cloth or something."

"Of course." The waitress began to get up, but Charlotte stopped her.

"Are you gonna call the police?" she asked, looking to where Sam had disappeared with the two waitstaff — not the front door — almost hoping he'd show up again.

"Of course, already done. I'll go get the cloth." The waitress disappeared.

"Oh Ted, why did you have to antagonise him?" Charlotte helped him sit up and leaned him against her chest. She was aware of other restaurant guests staring at them, but elected to ignore them. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright, Charlotte." He leaned his head back on her shoulder. "Bloody nose, nothing more. Took me by surprise, that's all, didn't hurt much." He took a few deep breaths, and Charlotte could feel his heart rate slowing a bit. "I didn't expect him to be violent, not in public."

"He's drunk, I think." The waitress returned with a cloth napkin, and Charlotte took it and began gently wiping the blood from Ted's face. "But I'm not sure, it's been a long time." She shuddered involuntarily.

Ted patted her leg gently. "It's alright, he's gone now. Can't hurt you." He took the cloth from her and used it to staunch the bleeding. "I'm proud of you, by the way. You stood up to him."

"Oh." She glanced around for a few moments. "Do you wanna get back in the booth?"

"Sure." He got to his feet, with her help, and sat back in the booth. Charlotte went next to him instead of across, still supporting part of his weight, although she suspected he didn't need her to. "Thanks." He smiled a little once they got settled, mostly lost in the cloth on his face, but she recognised the set of his jaw.

"Of course." She smiled back. "Just be careful, sweetheart, you could've gotten seriously hurt."

"I know, but I didn't. And he needed to leave, he was upsetting you, and he was ruining our date."

She chuckled a little at that. "He was."

A waiter came over to their table. "Terribly sorry for all this, the police are here, if you wish to talk to them," he said, wringing his hands.

"We would." Ted stood and, still with an arm on Charlotte's shoulder, began making his way towards the door Sam had disappeared through, Charlotte following him.

The door led to what looked like an employee break room. Sam was sitting on a chair, and two police officers were standing next to him.

One of them, a dark-haired woman holding a notebook, walked over to them. "If you'll follow me into the hall and I'll take your statements," she said, gesturing for them to follow her. "Alright," she said, once they were in the hallway. "What happened."

"Sam, the guy in there, came over while we were eating," Ted began. "He was being uncomfortable, so I told him to beat it. When he didn't, I was gonna lead him out, which is when he punched me."

"Aha." The policewoman looked at Charlotte. "In what way was he being uncomfortable?"

"Well, he was… Pushy." Charlotte wondered how she would explain it. "He's my ex husband. He said he just saw us and came in to say hi, but he was evidently angry. Don't know what about, Ted, I imagine."

"He was being threatening," Ted added. "Rude comments is one thing, but when Charlotte asked him to leave, he said something about her being good at leaving and then stepped closer. That's when I stood up to lead him out."

"How long have you been divorced?" She looked at Charlotte.

"Eleven years. I knew he would be angry with me, and I figured he'd be angry with Ted, but I was honestly not expecting him to be violent." Charlotte glanced at the door behind which Sam was, presumably, being questioned. "He never used to be. Threatening, yes, but he was rarely violent."

The policewoman seemed to realise something. "You say rarely. Is there a domestic abuse case against him?"

Charlotte shook her head. "But I believe there is mentions of it in our divorce case. In any instance, this is only the second time I've seen him be genuinely violent."

"He was acting weird," Ted added. "He's always been a prick, but it was like he was going out of his way to be malicious. And he definitely got worse when he realised that we're together."

"When I took your hand." Thinking about it, Charlotte reached for Ted's hand again; he laced their fingers together. "He was angry before that, but that was when he really got mad."

"Thank you, if that's all…" She looked between them.

"I think so." Ted nodded. "Thank you. We'll get back to our dinner now." He was still holding the cloth in front of his face with one hand, but as far as Charlotte could tell, the bleeding had stopped.

"Of course." The policewoman led them back to their table.

Charlotte sat next to Ted in the booth again, pulling her half-eaten and now lukewarm food over. She didn't want to let him go. "Are you sure you're alright?" she asked.

Ted took the cloth away from his face and smiled. "I'm fine, it was just a nosebleed. It's stopped now, I think."

It had, so she nodded. "You still have blood all over your face." There were paper napkins on the table, so she grabbed one and attempted to clean his face. It helped a little.

"Thank you." He smiled and squeezed her hand. "I love you."

"I love you too." She leaned her head on his shoulder for a moment. "I think I want to go home."

"Sure. I'll get the check." He scooted out of the booth and went to pay, coming back minutes later. "Might be best if you drive, Charlotte."

"Of course." She took his car keys and led the way to the car.

The drive home was mostly silent, but once they got inside and Ted got cleaned up, they talked. Charlotte cried, and Ted held her and kissed her hair, and although she knew it was a coping mechanism more than desire, she fucked him on the couch, and he let her set the pace. Then he carried her to bed, even when she said she could walk, and he held her through the night as she cried again.

Christmas came and went. Ted and Charlotte stayed home alone and didn’t exactly celebrate, but they did make brunch Christmas morning to eat together, and they did exchange presents. Ted had gotten her a necklace, a thin gold chain with a sun on it; it was beautiful. She put it on immediately and didn't take it off. She'd given him a book; he'd raised his eyebrow at it, but then read the summary and nodded. It made sense.

They went to Emma's and Paul's for New Year's. It turned out that Emma and Charlotte had some mutual friends who were also there, including Michael and his not-girlfriend Agnes, so she felt a little more comfortable, not having to rely on Ted. She did anyway, except for when Michael pulled her aside to catch up. They hadn't seen each other for quite a while; Charlotte had a tendency to slide out of contact with her family as soon as she wasn't relying on them, and although Michael was her friend more than her cousin, she'd let him go along with his mother.

Ted commented on it one evening, a few days later. "That guy Emma knew, you seemed to know him pretty well, how come we've lived together for four months and you've never mentioned him?"

If she didn't know better, she'd say Ted was jealous; he wasn't, so she just shrugged. "Michael? Oh, he's my cousin. I saw him a lot when I first moved back, but I don't talk much to my family now."

"You don't talk much to anyone." His voice was soft, and he sat down next to her on the couch. "I mean, you talk to me, of course. But I'll be out with a friend, and you're just here, alone. You should get out more."

"I'm fine." She didn't look at him.

"Charlotte." Ted took her hand and she chanced a glance at him, sensing that he was looking away. She was right. "I don't—" There was something strained in his voice. "I don't talk about this, and I don't intend to, but I've had my fair share of unhealthy relationships, and it starts here, with depending on someone too much. That's why I go out as much as I do, and it's… It's what happened with Sam. I can't be your only social contact."

"I know." She didn't want to have this conversation, but she knew he wouldn't let it go. "I know, I just… I don't need it, you know? It's nice to have friends and such, but I don't need to see them all the time."

"That's alright." He kissed her temple, and she could hear the edge of a smile. "Just, you know, sometimes. And go when you're invited."

"I'll try." It felt like an empty promise, but she knew he was right, so maybe she would. She looked at him. "I know you said you don't wanna talk about it, but if ever you do… Let me know, alright?"

He didn't answer, but he kissed her, and she knew what he meant.  _ I'll promise because you'll be happier, but I won't follow up. _ The difference was that she could say it out loud, and Ted just kissed.


	6. Vacations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost done! We're skipping a bit ahead in time now, and we will between all chapters from here on out, since there is only so much time you can spend on fluff, I have a plot to get to

The new year brought routine with it. Charlotte went to work in the mornings, earlier than Ted, kissing him goodbye while he ate breakfast. She came home most afternoons, made dinner while waiting for Ted to come home, but she made an effort to not let it be every day. She realised how many friends she had.

One evening in late April, she came home late, expecting Ted to already be in bed; he was in the living room, waiting for her.

"Hey," she said when she walked in. "What's up, I thought you'd be asleep by now?"

He smiled and gestured for her to join him on the couch. "Come on, I was looking at something."

She joined him. "What's up?"

"I usually go travelling during the summer, I figured it was time we had a vacation together." He turned his laptop towards her; several tabs open, seemingly mostly hotels. "I know you can't afford to travel, but I can. And I can afford to bring my girlfriend."

She smiled automatically. "That's a nice thought, Ted." She needed to say no. "I just uhh, well, I think… I don't know."

"Charlotte." He took her hand. "I was just looking at things. You don’t have to make a decision now, we’ll figure it out. I just wanted to tell you that I was considering it.” He gestured to the PC again. “Take a look, at least tell me where you want postcards from if you don’t wanna come with me.”

That earned him a sigh, but she took the PC and looked at the different places he’d been looking at. Mostly the US, Florida Keys, somewhere in Texas, SoCal, but a few places in Europe as well. She pointed out a few things that looked nice, her experience in SoCal some seven years earlier, the fact that one of the hotels looked mostly like a place teenagers went to hook up during spring break. He laughed.

They went to bed not much later, without ever addressing the fact that Charlotte wouldn’t join him.

She didn’t; late July, Ted left for a week, headed to SoCal, and Charlotte stayed in Hatchetfield. He sent her a postcard, halfway through, a couple of stupid pictures from a photobooth and a cheesy pickup line on a scenic postcard, all stuffed in an envelope with her name spelled wrong on the front. She laughed at it, but she tacked the photos up on the wall next to the stove. He’d have to live with that, she decided.

She drove out to pick him up from the airport when he came back. “I got you a present,” he said, once they were in the car, handing her a small box.

When she opened it, she kind of understood why he’d insisted on driving. It was a ring, a gold band with no stones. “Ted…”

“I think it’s supposed to be an engagement ring, but honestly, I just got it because it would suit you.” Ted kept his eyes on the road, but he was smiling when she looked back at him. “I mean, I’m not… If I  _ was _ going to propose, I like to think I’d make a better show of it, but consider this as me bringing up the topic.”

“Ted…” She looked between him and the ring. A few more seconds of silence, and she put it on; on her right hand. After so many years of wearing nothing on her fingers, it felt unfamiliar, but it looked good. “Consider this as me saying yes,” she said softly.

He took his eyes off the road for a moment to smile at her. "Haven't asked yet. Probably won't, for a while."

"I wouldn't have expected you to ask at all." Once the initial shock had settled, Charlotte could be calm about it. "Not your style."

"No, well." Ted shrugged. "It's yours. And I'm honestly not against it, it's just not important to me. But if you want to get married, well, I would want to be the one."

"I'd hope so. What kind of boyfriend would you be if you wanted me to marry someone else?" She chuckled. "You know what, don't answer that, I feel like we've been in that situation."

"I was gonna say." He took one hand off the wheel to put a hand on her knee for a moment. "Though, to be fair, I wanted you to leave him. Not that I was gonna marry you, either, not then."

"But now?" She squeezed his hand slightly, and he took it back. "You'd marry me now?"

"Charlotte, I'd do just about anything for you." He shook his head. "Damn, I really missed you this week, huh."

She laughed, but she blushed, too. "I missed you too." She remembered the pictures on the wall in their kitchen. "You'll see."

"Oh no." He laughed. "But seriously, if… If marriage is important to you, just let me know. Who knows, I might propose anyway, but if it's important to you…"

"I will." Charlotte made many empty promises, also to Ted, but this one felt like it had weight. "I love you."

"Love you too."


	7. Car Proposals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Penultimate chapter! It's a cute one, so buckle up for fluff. And more of Mary and Michael because I enjoy them.

Charlotte wasn't sure when she'd started referring to Ted as her fiancé rather than her boyfriend, but she did. It must've started at least a year after they'd started talking about getting engaged, but she couldn't say exactly; it just happened. All she knew was that the first time she used it in front of Ted, she'd been thinking that way for well over a year. 

He brought it up in the car immediately after. "When were you going to tell me we're engaged?" he asked, laughing slightly.

She shrugged, eyes on the road. "I honestly don't know when I started thinking it. It just… Happened. Are we gonna keep doing marriage proposals in cars at inopportune moments? Because if so, I have a question."

He laughed. "The answer's yes." He reached out and tapped the ring he'd given her, two summers prior, still on her right hand. "Time to move that ring, or should I get you a new one?"

"I'll move this one." She took her eyes off the road for a second to look at him. "I suppose that makes it official."

"I suppose it does." A few moments of silence. "Are we gonna actually plan a wedding, or are we gonna make it as chaotic and informal as our engagement?"

That made Charlotte laugh, enough to worry about crashing the car. "I think my mother would actually kill me. Well, maybe not, I got married once, but you know."

"Yeah, my mother too. She's already bugging me about not getting married, so that's good. And kids, I don't know what she expects."

"Tell her I can't have kids." Charlotte shrugged. "I'm 50, I probably still could, but I shouldn't. And Sam and I were married for 16 years without having kids, not that we ever actively wanted them, but I never bothered to find out if that was me or him."

"I don't like lying to her. Mostly because she knows. But you're right, we're too old to have kids."

"You aren't." Charlotte smiled without looking at him. "You'd be fine."

"Biologically yes, but I don't have the energy for a kid. I used to take care of Jainie and Lizzie when they were younger, it was exhausting. Kids have a lot of energy, and you gotta be right there with them." He put a hand on her leg, not really seeming to realise that he did so. "I could handle the girls then, for however long they were with me, but not for much longer. Keeping them entertained for a week, even when they went to kindergarten during the day, it was a lot. Plus, I've never wanted kids, and I'm not gonna have them just because."

"Me either." Charlotte let go of the wheel to put a hand over Ted's. "That's why Sam and I never had children, we never wanted them. It was up for consideration, and as I said, we didn't make a big effort to avoid them, but we never wanted them. I'm glad we didn't. I wouldn't be here now if we did." Charlotte pulled up in front of their building.

"Why not?" Ted got out of the car and leaned against it, waiting for her. "Actually no, doesn't matter, I don't wanna talk about Sam. Come on." He reached out to take her hand, pushing the ring off her finger. "Left," he said, holding out his palm.

She put out her left hand. "Here, really? In the parking lot?"

"Yes, here." He turned so they were facing each other, holding hands. "Charlotte Waters, will you marry me?"

She laughed, and although she could feel her face heating up, she didn't look away. "Yes. I will."

"Good." He put the ring on her left hand. It felt weird and unfamiliar, but it made her smile; it was right. "I love you." He kissed her.

"I love you too." Charlotte pulled him in for another kiss, longer, a little less chaste, but not much; they were in public.

Once they weren't in public, they kissed again, and this time, it was anything but chaste, anything but short. And although Charlotte enjoyed her relationship with Ted, loved him, was happy about their engagement, she had never quite let go of the origins of their relationship, where they mostly just had a lot of sex. Ted hadn't either, so that was how they celebrated.

Planning a wedding was potentially the worst thing Charlotte had ever done, and it was even harder the second time around. There was different family, more people from out of town — Ted was from the opposite coast, and his entire family still lived there — and overall more children, as many of their friends now had kids. Not to mention, when she and Sam got married, weddings hadn't been nearly as extravagant and expensive as they were now. She didn't care about a big wedding, and neither did Ted, but there were a few things they needed, and they cost money. Planning meant budgeting.

Ted helped a lot, more than she'd expected. He also insisted on picking the song for their dance; she agreed, if she could veto. He showed her a classical waltz, a beautiful piece that she hadn't at all expected, and she immediately said yes.

Because there was a lot to plan, and even if she wasn't doing the seating chart — because Ted was — or dealing with the food, she still had stuff to do.

One of those things was ask her mother to walk her down the aisle. She'd asked to come by for dinner one evening, planning to bring it up, and was surprised to find Michael and his mother Mary there.

No time like the present, Charlotte reminded herself. "Ma, I actually meant to ask you… For mine and Ted's wedding, will you walk me down the aisle?"

Michael was smiling, but his mother looked furious. "Absolutely not," she said, before Charlotte's own mother could get a word in. "A man should do it."

Charlotte sighed. "Mary, dear, that's really none of your business. And perhaps I would consider that, if I had a father or an uncle, but I don't, so I won't."

"You have a cousin." Mary gestured to Michael, who looked faintly amused, but not about to get involved. "A man should do it."

"I asked my mother." Charlotte considered making some bite back at her aunt, something that would make her consider not coming to the wedding — and there was plenty — but she held her tongue and turned to her mother. "Ma, I'd really love it if you would walk me down the aisle, this time."

Her mother nodded. "I'll do it, of course I will."

"Magda!" Mary was back on her bullshit. "You cannot support this! It's bad enough that she's marrying a cheater—"

"Okay, enough out of you." Charlotte turned to look at Mary again. "First of all, Ted is not a cheater, I am. I've told you this time and time again. Second of all, he might as well be marrying a man, and well, I know you don't approve of that, but my fiancé is not straight, and I won't pretend he is for your sake. Third of all, do you want to know the things we've done that you would disapprove of? Because I will tell you, but not in front of my mother." Charlotte stared down Mary even after her rant.

Michael sniggered. "I think that settles it, Magda will be walking Charlotte down the aisle. Come now, Char, you can give me a ride home, I'm sure mama and Magda have much to discuss." He stood up and looked at the women in front of him.

Mary was still too shocked to say much of anything, but Charlotte's mother smiled and said goodbye, pleasant as anything.

Once in the car, Michael's persistent snigger turned into a full laugh. Charlotte laughed with him. "I never thought I'd do that," she admitted.

"It was wonderful. I've never seen her so shocked." Michael's laughter stilled a bit. "I have to ask, what didn't you want to say in front of your mother?"

"Oh, you know, the usual." Charlotte started the car and pulled out. "Sex out of wedlock, choosing not to have children, that sort of thing, I just wanted her to think it was worse than it is. Oh, and I did consider, for a moment, to go into detail on the whole 'sex out of wedlock' thing, but I'd better not. It's not bad, but well, I may be an old woman, but I have no desire for my aunt to know my sex life."

That made Michael laugh again. "Oh she never would've spoken to you again."

"I know. Wonder if she'll come to the wedding."


	8. Wedding

As it turned out, Mary didn't come to the wedding, but Charlotte didn't mind. She almost preferred it; no chance of her ruining it.

She was standing with her mother and her good friend Heather, out in the back, waiting for the ceremony to start. She was wearing a dress that wasn't quite white, wasn't quite a wedding dress, but she'd wanted that. Heels that fit the dress but didn't put her anywhere near Ted's height, the necklace Ted had given her that first Christmas together, and a faint tanline on her left hand where her ring usually sat. Ted had it now, to give to her during the ceremony. She had a ring for him tucked away in a small pocket in her dress, as well.

Finally, it was time. Charlotte took her mother's arm, Heather squeezed her hand, and she walked out.

Everything disappeared as soon as she saw Ted. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him in a suit, far from it, but his nervous smile and fidgeting hands hit her harder than it should. He'd always been handsome, grey streaking his dark hair, but like this, eyes on her, she could only meet his eyes and never tear them away.

She didn't register anything but him for a while, as her mother led her up the aisle and placed her hand in his. She did, however, try to pay attention to the officiant; a friend of Ted's, Christina, because they hadn't wanted a religious ceremony.

Then came time for vows. Ted went first. "Charlotte… I've known you for a long time, and I think I've loved you for almost as long. At first you were a way to let myself be wanted, but you became so much more than that, so quickly. And although I had all but given up on you, when you stepped back into my life, I knew it would be worth it to try. I haven't regretted it yet, and I never will. Seeing you happy is everything I want, and I will do everything I can to make you smile, for the rest of our lives — together." He was looking at her, and although his voice was steady and his face neutral, she swore she saw tears in his eyes.

Charlotte herself was crying already; she took a deep breath to steady herself. "Ted, sweetheart… My Ted. I love you. I loved you almost twenty years ago when you let me into your life and let me have just a taste of the man you'd become. And although it took a long time, far too long, I'm happy to be here today. I want you to be happy, and I cannot believe that I get to be the one there with you as you experience the rest of life — together." Charlotte was almost sobbing by the end, but she kept her eyes on Ted, and his gentle encouraging smile got her through it.

The familiar feel of her ring calmed her more than she'd expected; she hadn't quite realised how much she'd missed it over the few hours Ted had had it. She gave Ted his ring; for some reason, that was the point in which the significance of it struck her, and she started crying in earnest. Then Ted kissed her, their friends and family clapped, and they walked back down the aisle together.

They had a moment alone after the ceremony, before the reception started. Ted took her in his arms. "I love you."

"I love you too." She was still crying, but less so. "Ted… We're married."

"I know." He kissed her hair. "No need to be so upset about it."

That did make her laugh. "Oh, don't say that." She freed herself to  _ tsk _ at him. "I couldn't be happier. I don't think I ever have been."

"I'm glad to hear it." He took her hand. "Let's go, we have a dance to do."

"Of course." She followed him out.

The reception went as planned, and Ted didn't step on her feet during their dance. Michael did, later, when she danced with him, but at least she could laugh at him.

She and Ted mostly stuck close to each other, but he did disappear from her for about five minutes at some point. Just as he came back, Heather came to pull her aside.

"So," she said once they were slightly private. "Charlotte, you're my best friend, so I'm gonna tell you what I should've told you 30 years ago: Sam was never good for you. Never." She pulled Charlotte in for a hug. "Ted, however… I just talked to him for a bit, and I think he's good. I told him that I don't think I've ever seen you smile so much, and his immediate reaction was to say he hopes you never stop. He loves you so much; don't let him go."

Charlotte hugged her back. "I know. I won't. He's the best thing that's ever happened to me." She let Heather go and smiled a little. "Don't you think our wedding is a bit late to have this talk?"

Heather shrugged. "Maybe. But I already knew, I just needed to be sure. Let's go join the party."

As the night drew to a close, Charlotte was standing on the edge of the dancefloor, Ted behind her with his arms around her. They weren't dancing, exactly, just swaying to the music, watching their friends and family dance.

Charlotte was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're done! Hope y'all enjoyed the fluff, I promise I will be back to my regularly scheduled angst and comedy next week.


End file.
